For those of you who have been around since the beginning, you may recall that I wrote a brief article about an organization called Operation Supply Drop almost two years ago. The original article can be found at http://www.rivalcastmedia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=943 but, for those who need a brief refresher, they're a charity that sends care packages full of gaming goodness to U.S. and NATO troops stationed overseas.

Upon leaving the military, Captain Stephen Machuga realized that civilians wanted to show their support for the troops overseas, but that their care packages, while well meaning, showed a total lack of understanding regarding what the troops would actually appreciate. Capt. Machuga decided that he could do better, and armed with that confidence, approached various industry organizations, from developers to publishers, and began sending 'supply drops', inspired by the care packages in Call of Duty, loaded with games, consoles, and peripherals to troops that were down range.

Since their founding in 2010, OSD has grown, accepting donations from industry giants and folks just like you, whether in the form of cash or products, and sent them to soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines around the globe, including both active duty servicemen and those recovering in our nation's hospitals. In addition, they support veteran owned businesses within the industry and provide exciting opportunities for veteran's at events like E3 while helping to foster veteran/civilian relationships through the Teams program.

Why is this important? Well, they can't do all of this good work without the support of folks like you, and RivalCast Media has been asked to join the effort this year during Operation Supply Drop's Summer Siege. We'll be streaming and taking donations all weekend for the charity, culminating on Monday, July 6th, at 8pm EST, when we'll be going head to head with 7 other teams in a double elimination gaming competition to raise OSD's profile and also raise much needed funds for their organization. I, personally, will be grateful whether you are able to donate money or not. Hanging out in the stream at http://www.twitch.tv/rivalcastmedia during our broadcasts will help raise our profile on twitch and hopefully will allow us to reach more people regarding this cause. Also, let me be perfectly clear, RCM will be keeping NONE of this money. Not a single dime will pass through our hands. The donation link leads straight to Operation Supply Drop and we will not profit monetarily from this AT ALL.

Our current goal is to raise $500 this weekend, but I think that we can do even better.

Speaking personally, I can tell you that receiving care packages from home, whether from family, friends, or even strangers, always had a huge impact on me while overseas. The opportunity to play a game with friends, even if only for a few minutes, can help take a serviceman's mind away from his circumstances and provide some much needed stress relief. Your donations matter and they make a difference. I know that we can, as a community, come together and provide that little bit of entertainment and distraction that can mean so much to those who sacrifice every day so that we can enjoy our lives in peace and plenty.

Thank you all.

Matt "Varyar1G" Trayers

"You cannot exaggerate about the Marines. They are convinced, to the point of arrogance, that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth - and the amusing thing about it is that they are." - Father Kevin Keaney - 1st MarDiv Chaplain - Korean War"Despite what your momma told you, violence does solve problems." - Ryan Job